Frank shot him twice just as he was clearing leather. He placed his shots fast but carefully, knocking both legs out from under the man. Jerry's shotgun boomed, and there was a scream from the gunman on the roof.
"Oh, my ass!" the sniper squalled. "You done ruint me. Oh, sweet Baby Jesus!" Then he fell off the roof, crashing through the awning and landing on the boardwalk.
Frank took a quick look at the man. His ass was a bloody mess. He had taken both barrels of Jerry's scattergun in the butt. He had landed on his belly on the boardwalk, and the wind had been knocked out of him.
Jerry stepped out of the alley, a six-gun in his hand. "Watch him," Frank said, pointing to bloody butt. Then he walked over to the fallen man in the dusty and now bloody street.
"Calvin, or Lou?" Frank asked him.
"Lou. You bastard! You done broke both my legs."
"That was my intention."
"Damn your eyes!"
"Lou what?"
"Lou Manning."
"Well, well, now. I have a dodger on you over in the office. Another five hundred dollars in my pocket."
"That's an old dodger. It's a thousand now."
"That's even better. How about your buddy over there?"
"Bud Chase. He ain't got no money on his head. You gonna get me a doctor, Morgan?"
"I see him coming now. Was that you prowling around outside my house this morning?"
"Huh? No." He groaned in pain. "I don't even know where you live, Morgan. I wish to God I'd never seen you. Where is that damn sawbones?"
"Taking a look at your buddy's butt. He's got two loads of bird shot in his ass."
"To hell with Bud's butt! My legs is busted, goddamn it."
Doc Bracken came over and looked at Lou's wounds. "Neither leg seems to be broken, but you won't be doing much walking around for a while."
"I really hurt something fierce, Doc," Lou said. "Can you give me something for the pain?"
"When we get you settled in the jail," the doctor told him.
"How's the other one?" Frank asked.
"Very uncomfortable," Bracken said with a half-smile. "And he's going to be even more so when I start probing around for those shot."
Frank waved at some men. "Get these two over to the jail," he told them. He looked at Doc Bracken. "Unless you want them in your office."
Bracken shook his head. "Jail will be fine. Neither one of them are in any danger of expiring. Your jail is getting full, isn't it, Marshal?"
"I'll have two cells left after these two are booked."
"Ummm," Doc Bracken said. "What happens if your jail gets full?"
"I'll chain prisoners outside to a hitch rail."
Bracken gave him a hard look. "And you would too, wouldn't you, Marshal?"
"Bet on it."
The doctor chuckled. "I think you'll be the best marshal this town has ever had, Morgan. Providing you live long enough, that is."
"Thank you, Doc. How soon can I ask these two a few questions?"
"A couple of hours, maybe. Probably longer. I'm going to sedate them heavily. I'll let you know."
"Good enough."
The wounded were carried off to the jail. Dirt was kicked over the bloody spot in the street, and Frank told Jerry to locate one of the town's carpenters and have him get busy repairing the awning and the broken boardwalk. He sent another man to find the mayor and arrange for a meeting.
Conrad had not moved from his spot in the doorway across the street. Frank spotted the young man and walked over to him.
"How is your mother this morning, Conrad?"
"Very well, Marshal. Thank you for inquiring. That was quite a performance a few moments ago. Do you always twirl your pistol after a shooting?"
Frank did not remember doing that. It was just something he did automatically. "I suppose so, Conrad. It's just a habit."
"Very impressive, I must say. You are quite proficient with that weapon."
"I try."
"Tell me, Marshal, if you will, how long have you known my mother?"
Frank had no idea what Viv had told the young man, but he wasn't going to start off whatever relationship that might develop with a lie. "I knew her years ago, Conrad. For a very brief time."
"Before she married my father?"
"Oh, yes."
"I see. Well, at least you both have your stories straight. Good day, Marshal." Conrad turned away and walked off toward the Henson Enterprises office building without another word.
"Boy damn sure suspects something is not quite right," Frank muttered. He also knew that he and Viv had better get their heads together and plan something out, and do it quickly.
Mayor Jenkins strolled up, all smiles. "Well, Marshal," he said, grabbing Frank's hand and shaking it, "congratulations. I was just informed about the incident. I was told that was quite a dandy bit of shooting on your part. Knocked the pins out from under that gunman quicker than the eye could follow. And I'm told you have a new deputy. Jerry, ah, what's his name? Consider him on the payroll." He named a very generous monthly sum of money -- about twice the going rate, even for a boom town. "You can swear him in. That goes with the office, Marshal. I should be hearing something from Arkansas in about a week. I'll let you know immediately. Good day, Marshal. Great job you're doing. Yes, indeed."
"Most happy fellow," Frank muttered. He went in search of Jerry to swear him in.
Frank did not notice Conrad peeping around the corner of a building, watching his every move.
--------
*Eleven*
Frank swore Jerry in as deputy marshal and pinned a badge on him. Then they went over to Willis's store and bought provisions for the small private room at the jail. Back at the jail, Frank fixed a pot of coffee and the two men talked while Doc Bracken worked on the wounded in the cell block.
"Never married, Jerry?"
"Once. Had two kids. Boy and a girl. She didn't like the West, and she really didn't like me, I guess. We lived in Kansas. Took the kids and left one day when I was out with a posse. I've not seen hide nor hair of any of them since. That was twenty years ago. Don't know where they are. You, Frank?"
"A long time ago. Right after the war. We weren't married long. It didn't work out. I've been drifting ever since."
"Yeah, me too, but I don't blame that on her. I reckon I'm just meant to wander, that's all." Jerry stood up. "I need to go back to the roomin' house and get my things, Frank. OK with you?"
"Sure. Go ahead. I've got an appointment to see Mrs. Browning this morning. I'll probably be gone time you get back."
"That's a nice lady."
"Yes, she certainly is."
Jerry left and Frank looked in on Doc Bracken and his assistant. "You going to be much longer. Doc?"
"'Bout ten more minutes. I've got all the shot out of this man's butt that I can. The rest will have to stay. Some will work out in time, but he'll be sitting on a lot of bird shot for the rest of his life."
"I'll kill that son of a bitch who shot me," the butt-shot Bud groaned through his laudanum-induced haze.
"Shut up," Doc Bracken told him. "You'll have lots of time to think up threats while you're in prison. You'd better be thankful it wasn't buckshot that hit you, fellow. You wouldn't have any ass left."
"Gimmie some more laudanum," Bud mumbled.